Samuel C. Watson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Samuel C. Watson
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Drawing of Dr. Samuel C. Watson.
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| Born | 1832 St. James Parish, South Carolina
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| Died | March 13, 1892 (aged 59–60) |
| Alma mater | Western Homeopathic College University of Michigan |
| Occupation | Politician, druggist, doctor |
| Political party | Republican, later Democratic |
Samuel C. Watson (1832 – 1892) was an important person in Detroit, Michigan, and Chatham, Ontario. He was a druggist (someone who sells medicines), a doctor, and a civic leader (someone who helps their community).
In the late 1850s and early 1860s, Watson helped with the Underground Railroad. This was a secret network that helped enslaved people find freedom. He worked closely with William Whipper and George DeBaptiste.
During the American Civil War (1861–1865), Watson moved to Detroit. He later became a city councilman there. This means he was elected to help run the city. Watson was very independent in his political views. He sometimes disagreed with other Black leaders in Michigan. In the mid-1880s, he even changed from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party.
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Samuel Watson's Early Life and Education
Samuel C. Watson was born into slavery in 1832. This happened in St. James Parish, South Carolina. When he was nine years old, his owner died. He and his two brothers and two sisters were sent to Washington, D.C. They were cared for by Rev. William McLane.
Samuel had already started learning to read and write. In Washington, he went to a school run by the wife of Leonard Grimes. Grimes was an abolitionist and an Underground Railroad conductor. Watson then attended Union Seminary, led by John F. Cook.
At 16, he enrolled at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. He studied there for three years. He then left school and joined the crew of a survey ship. This ship, the USS Madison, surveyed waters between Delaware Bay and Portland, Maine.
After leaving the ship, Watson moved to Ohio to be with his brothers. He enrolled at Oberlin College. However, he did not finish his studies there. In 1853, he transferred to the Medical Department at the University of Michigan. This university is in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
He left that school in 1856. He then moved to Cleveland, Ohio, to finish his medical studies. He graduated in 1856 from the Western Homeopathic College. He earned his M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) degree in 1857.
After graduating, he moved to Chatham, Ontario, in Canada. He worked as a doctor there until 1858. His office was on Charity block, shared with the Provincial Freeman newspaper. This newspaper was run by Mary Ann Shadd.
Life in Canada and Beyond
In the fall of 1858, Watson moved to British Columbia. He was hoping to find gold during a gold rush. But he wasn't successful. He returned to Chatham, Ontario, the next fall.
In 1859, he joined a steamboat called the T. Whitney. This boat was partly owned by abolitionists William Whipper and George DeBaptiste. DeBaptiste ran the boat. It carried lumber and helped enslaved people escape to freedom. The boat traveled between Sandusky, Ohio, Detroit, Michigan, and Amherstburg, Ontario.
In 1861, Samuel married Sarah L. Cassey. She was the daughter of Joseph and Ann Cassey from Salem, Massachusetts. The couple settled in Toronto, Canada. Watson was allowed to practice medicine there.
Moving to Detroit
In 1863, Watson moved to Detroit. He opened a drug store there. He ran this store until he passed away in 1892. However, he was not allowed to practice medicine in Detroit.
His first wife, Sarah, died in 1875. They had six children together, but three of them died when they were young. In 1877, Watson married again. His second wife was Camilla Coleman, from Philadelphia. They had two children.
Samuel Watson's Public Service
Watson became active in Republican politics. In 1874, he led the Detroit Political Union. This was a group of African Americans working for political change. They often disagreed with leaders like George DeBaptiste.
That year, Watson was nominated to be a state legislator. But he lost the election. In 1875, he was nominated for the Board of Estimates. He lost again because of a mistake on the ballot. His name was misspelled as Samuel G. Watson instead of Samuel C. Watson. Some people thought this was a trick by the Republicans. However, his opponent refused the nomination. So, Watson was voted into the seat.
In 1876, he was nominated for the state legislature again, but he lost. Finally, in 1883, he was elected to the city council. He served a three-year term.
In 1884, he was chosen as a delegate for the 1884 Republican National Convention. He supported James G. Blaine for president. Watson was very independent in his political ideas. His selection as a delegate was even debated.
When his term on the city council ended, he was not chosen for a second term. He had been promised a job in the assessor's office, but he didn't get it. Around this time, he left the Republican Party. In 1888, he wrote an article in the Detroit Free Press. In it, he supported independent politics. He also questioned if the Republican Party truly supported civil rights for all.
He then started the Independent Colored Democratic Club. He was also a member of the Jacksonians club. In 1892, he supported Grover Cleveland for president. In 1891, Michigan Governor Edwin B. Winans appointed him to the Jury Commission.
Watson was also involved in community activities. In 1884, he was an honorary commissioner for Michigan. He helped with the colored department of the World's Fair. This was the World Cotton Centennial in New Orleans. He was also connected to the Congregational Christian church.
Samuel Watson's Passing
Watson became very sick with the flu in 1890–1891, but he got better. In early 1892, he became ill again. On March 13, 1892, Samuel Watson died from pneumonia. His funeral was held at his home in Detroit. He was buried at Elmwood Cemetery.
